After the stirring success of the first Women's Goddess Retreat in September 2009, the women of Our Haven began asking for a circle of their own. A place where our Womaning and Croning rituals can happen in the privacy of shared sisterhood. A place where we can reconnect with the spirit of motherhood, maidenhood, sisterhood, and womanhood that unites us. A place where we can continue to circle together and learn together throughout the year. A place that our great-grandmother crones and differently-abled sisters can access without risk.

We envision this circle to be used by anyone who identifies as a woman in her daily life – women who live their lives as women, whether they were born as females or not. She need not be a member of any particular group. This circle is open to all women of any age who come to Our Haven.

It is a place where a woman or a group of women may go to perform rituals or lead workshops. The rituals might be planned, formal rites that are part of a festival’s schedule, or they might be an impromptu, informal outcropping of an individual’s camping or retreat experience. Women might gather in the circle simply to be among other women for a time, to meditate, to commune with the spirit of sisterhood, or to otherwise claim sanctuary in “women’s space.” Rites of passage for women may be held at this Circle throughout the year. You can learn about women's rites of passage rituals through the Women's Goddess Retreat website.

The Location of the Circle

The Women’s Circle will be located in the small wooded clearing across from Dragon Circle. It is bounded to the west by the creek, to the east by a “hedge” of bushy growth, and will include the path that runs north and south that leads in and out of the space. In time, it will be bounded by permanent markers that may include signs at the entrances, cast iron shepherd’s crooks along at the entrances and along the hedgerow, and other natural and structural features that will provide both beautification and privacy.

Maintenance and Beautification

We understand that part of the commitment to claiming a circle is taking on the up-keep of the space. We, the founders of the circle, can commit to monthly mowing of the grassy space and will attempt to enlist the help of other women in this work as well. We intend to beautify the “bushy hedge” with the addition/substitution of privacy-providing plants, herbs and flowers. The women of Our Haven are encouraged to contribute their own beautification efforts to the space, as well, so that the Women’s Circle displays the beauty and diversity of the Goddesses, the land and the women who come here.